Nottingham Forest was on the agenda for Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on Friday afternoon, as he sat down for his pre-match press conference at Bodymoor Heath.
The Villans welcome Nuno Espírito Santo's side to Villa Park on Saturday evening, looking to bag a seventh-straight win in all competitions having beaten both Preston North End and Brighton & Hove Albion since returning from the international break.
Emery met with the local and national press at Villa's training base, with Saturday's visitors, squad rotation and Marcus Rashford's form among the topics of conversation.
Read key lines from his pre-match media briefing below...
On Forest's threat...
“On the pitch, a lot of collective duels, individual duels. Of course, they are competing fantastic in everything – defensively, offensively, set pieces, throw ins and as well getting duels.
“Of course, we have to try to work everything as better as possible, and play football, trying to get our best.”
On Nuno Espírito Santo...
“Fantastic. Not now, in his career as a coach, especially here in England. Wolverhampton, he played fantastic football, being very, very competitive, they achieved playing in Europe as well.
“Now, after, he was coming back again to Premier League last year, progressively getting better, and this year really fantastic, how they are competing, how they are playing, how they are beating a lot of teams, getting points, doing the difference in the table with a lot of teams.
“(I) Respect them a lot. Of course, after this respect, to analyse deeply how we can play tomorrow more or less trying to impose, to dominate, to play better than them, to get individual performances as better as possible.”
On Marcus Rashford...
“Happy for him. Happy because he is achieving individual objectives as well, with these appearances he is doing, playing matches here with us.
“And try to enjoy with him, not more, try to feel comfortable himself every day here, with everything we are doing and with his team-mates.
“Training, playing and of course with the challenges we have together, to try to achieve, and to play in his best form, qualities, skills and confidence.”
On the importance of the full squad...
“We don’t have now time to explain a lot about how we are, and how we are playing a lot of matches now being very, very important in Premier League, in Champions League and in FA Cup.
“Of course, the players now, we are recovering players, we are feeling stronger.
“The message I have with them is we were in some moments in the season with some players injured, with some players not feeling physically feeling good. We were struggling sometimes and not achieving the objective we were facing in that moment.
“Of course, now, with the players we have more or less available for tomorrow the match, or the match we play before, I am happy because my plan is to try to extend 90 minutes competing in the demands we have, and the demands the opponent they are facing us.
“Mentally, physically to be in good form and to have players on the bench to substitute being good impact, is very, very important.”
On Emi Martínez...
“Of course, his personality is very important for us.
“His message in the dressing room, his message every day, his message when he is playing as well, the commitment he has with the team is really necessary, fantastic and always is very, very positive.”
On Marco Asensio...
“Everything we did before, the players, the coaches and the history of the club, is before.
“Now, we have to use the experience but practicing, and getting performances.
“For him as well, it is a very huge challenge, to show here his capacity to help us.
“But every match, of course, he is doing a fantastic job, and his adaptation was going very quick.
“But tomorrow again, Wednesday again, then Saturday again, we have to show everybody our capacity with our experiences of course, but to try to do here, and to try to show now.”
